The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan
by Dana Katherine
Summary: Unlike the episode of the same name, Margaret is actually abducted by the North Koreans. Will she make it back safe? And how does Hawkeye handle her disappearance? Very HM.
1. Taking Care of Business

Title: The Abduction of Margaret Houlihan

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, or the title, just the story line….and I'm not making any money either. (bummer)

Summary: Unlike the episode of the same name, Margaret is actually abducted by the North Koreans. Will she make it back safe? And how does Hawkeye handle her disappearance? Very HM.

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She was on her way back from a conference in Tokyo. She had spent three days listening to the most boring person in the world talk about 15 different ways to make a bed. Ok, so it wasn't quite that bad, but she would have rather skipped it even though she got to be away from the 4077th and all of the injured for a while. A young Sergeant by the name of Wilkins had met her in Seoul and was driving her back "home". As weird as it was, she was actually looking forward to returning, if not only to see a certain someone who she was becoming very close to in recent weeks. She smiled at the thought of him, but it quickly vanished when a loud pop was heard and the jeep began to swerve violently around the road. Sergeant Wilkins managed to stop the vehicle without crashing, and turned to her.

"Are you alright, Major?" She nodded and he exited the jeep. He looked at the front driver-side tire and shook his head. "I swear. I had to change the other tire on this side before I even picked you up. Well don't worry; I'll have us back on the road again in no time." He walked around to the back of the jeep and extracted the lug wrench and a jack. Margaret stepped out of the jeep and stretched. As she did so, the few drinks she had enjoyed while waiting in Seoul caught up with her and she definitely couldn't wait until they got back to use the bathroom.

"Sergeant? I'm going right over here to…take care of some business, I'll be right back." Wilkins simply nodded his reply, as he was struggling fiercely to remove the blown tire. She walked in a ways and found a large tree. She was in the process of trying to get her Class A's out of the way when a hand came from behind and clamped over her mouth. She tried to scream but another hand snaked around and cut off her air supply.

"No noise or he shoots," came the voice of a very obvious Korean. About that time she felt the cool steel of a rifle touch her temple. She raised her hands up and they were instantly grabbed and tied tightly behind her back. The two men then grabbed her arms and pulled her off through the woods.

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A/N: Ok don't hate me because of the cliffhanger. This chapter is a teaser because I want to get a feel of what people think about this idea. I promise I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Let me know what you think!


	2. Where's Margaret?

See first chapter for information!

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She struggled hard against her captors, but between the two of them she had no chance. By now they had gagged and blindfolded her so she had no idea where she was. She heard one of them say something in Korean, and then she stumbled over a fallen tree, landing flat out on the ground. She grumbled and tried to stand, but without the use of her hands she had trouble. One of the men grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her up and pushed her out in front of him. They walked for a few more feet until she was lifted and placed in the back of some kind of vehicle. The two men climbed in the front, slammed the doors and took off as fast as possible.

"Well, that about does it, Major. Hopefully the other two will hold until we get to camp." Wilkins wiped his hands on his pants and returned the jack and wrench to the jeep. He looked up to see his traveling companion, but was met with nothing. "Major Houlihan?" He started into the woods where she had headed, but there was still no sign of her. "Major Houlihan, we have to go now!" He started to panic and quickened his pace. Something shiny caught his eye and he looked down. In the middle of a scuffed pile of leaves, one gold Major cluster glistened in the sun. He reached down and picked up the pin and looked into the woods. "Shit!" He raced back to the jeep and sped toward the 4077th.

As soon as he saw the sign that promised the best care anywhere he laid on the horn. He sped towards the C.O.'s office, tossing up rocks and leaving a trail of dust. At the same time, B.J., Hawkeye and Colonel Potter were leaving Post-Op and heading to the mess tent. The commotion stopped them, however, and they turned just in time to see the frantic Sergeant leap from the jeep.

"Sergeant Wilkins?" started the oldest man, "Weren't you supposed to meet my head nurse in Seoul this afternoon?"

"I did, Sir," came the reply.

"Well, unless she packed herself into one of her bags, she's not here," the raven haired surgeon remarked.

"One of the tires blew, and while I was changing it Major Houlihan went into the woods to relieve herself. When I finished she wasn't back so I walked in a ways to find her, but all I found was this." He reached into his pocket and produced the cluster. Col. Potter grabbed if from his hand and looked at it.

"Damn it. She's been taken"

The realization finally hit Hawkeye and he snapped. He lunged forward and grabbed Wilkins by the collar. "You son of a bitch! You let her go into the woods alone?! We're in the middle of a war, there are guerillas everywhere and you let her…damn it!" He pushed the frightened Sergeant onto the ground. B.J. was behind him and tried to pull him off, but the angered surgeon was intent on his actions. Col. Potter and a corpsman finally stepped in and pulled him off of Wilkins. Hawkeye twisted out of their grasp and headed in the other direction. He kicked over a trashcan before picking up the lid and throwing it into the side of the mess tent. Then he continued to the swamp and stormed in.

"Klinger!" Potter looked around for his clerk and saw him come running from his office.

"Yes, Sir?" He stood in front of the C.O. and threw a salute.

"Klinger, Houlihan's been abducted. I need you to get on the horn and round up a search party. Call intelligence and see what troops are around the abduction site and have them keep an eye out…and get me General Clayton!" he called to the already retreating form. By then Hawkeye had come back out of the swamp, wearing his combat helmet and toting a medical bag.

"Alright, let's go Wilkins." He started towards the jeep but was stopped by Col. Potter.

"Just where do you think you're going, Pierce?"

"To look for Margaret. Who knows how long it'll take for Klinger to get anything started, and it could be too late by then." He started for the jeep again.

Potter reached out and grabbed his jacket, "You want to get yourself killed? You can't just go out in the woods by yourself!"

"Then I'll take B.J.!"

"Right." The mustached surgeon ran for the swamp to retrieve his belongings. He ran out seconds later and rushed back to the group.

"Alright," Col. Potter said reluctantly, "the three of you go, and stick together. No more than a hundred yards off of the road, and then you come straight back, you hear me?" The trio nodded and jumped in the jeep before speeding off.

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop and Margaret was thrown against the seat in front of her. The door opened and she was grabbed by the arm and drug out. They forced her into a building, down what seemed like a hallway, and then into a small, dark room. They removed her blindfold, but left the gag in. Then they left the room and she heard a large lock be slid into place. She looked around her surroundings, as best she could in the lack of light. There was a small chair in the corner, missing three slats in the seat, and a bucket in another corner that only reminded her that she still had to pee. With her arms tied behind her back, though, it would be quite impossible. She walked over to the door and kicked repeatedly with her foot. Just about the time she felt like giving up the lock moved and the door opened. A North Korean stepped into the room with a rifle pointed at her. She stepped back and he shut the door behind him. He just stared at her, so she tried to talk around the gag. He finally came over and removed it so she could speak. She managed something close to bathroom, and he pointed to the bucket. She turned around to show him her tied hands. He undid them, only to retie them in the front and leave. After she finished with the bucket she sat in the corner and dropped her head into her hands and her whole body shook with sobs.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. This might be the last one for a few days because I'm leaving town and might not have a chance to update. I should be back Sunday or Monday, though, and I'll get the next one up as soon as I can.


	3. Moving

See first chapter for information!

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"Are you sure this is where you stopped?" The trio had been walking around for almost half an hour, and had found absolutely nothing to help them locate Margaret.

"Yes, Captain. I remember that tree." The Sergeant pointed to a solo tree leaned over like the tower of Pisa.

"Great. That tree looks like that one," he said pointing to a tree in a different direction, "and it looks like hundreds of others." Hawkeye ran his fingers through his hair and kicked at a rock.

"C'mon, Hawk, let's go back to camp. We aren't doing any good here, and they'll be sending up choppers to look soon. Besides that, I don't want us to get caught." He started to head back to the jeep, but turned around and found that his friend was not following. He walked back and placed his hand on Hawkeye's shoulder. Hawkeye took one last longing look around before reluctantly returning to the jeep.

The door slid open abruptly, waking Margaret from her restless sleep. A tray was kicked in front of her, which held a slice of bread. A pitcher of what she assumed was water was placed by the door, and then the lock was set again. She picked up the bread, and then clanged it against the tray. She couldn't decide if she should eat it or break out with it. She ate hungrily, though, to calm her ravenous hunger. She didn't know what time it was, how long she had been captive, or even if it was night or day. Her watch had quit in Tokyo, and she had planned to send for a new one when she returned to the 4077th. She finished the bread and then crawled over to the pitcher. She picked it up and smelled it. Although she had no idea what may have been added to the water, she also knew in this heat you couldn't go long without it so she drank it anyways. Just as soon as she finished she heard yelling outside of her door and then the door swung open. One of the men entered, carrying a rifle.

"Stand up," he ordered. By his voice she knew this was one of the men who had captured her. She did as she was ordered and he immediately grabbed her arms. He retied them behind her back, and then redid her gag and blindfolded her again. "Our enemy is coming. We must move now. Go!" With that she was forced out of the room, out of the building, and into a vehicle. The doors were slammed, the vehicle rumbled to life and they were off.

"Alright General, thanks for your help." Colonel Potter hung up the phone just as Hawkeye burst through the door.

"Any news Colonel?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid not, son. I just got off of the phone with General Clayton. He's agreed to send out a search party to look for her. I have two men going up in choppers to scan the surrounding area for any signs of her or the enemy. Unfortunately, it's not too many hours until dark so they won't have a long time to look." He took off his glasses and rubbed his face with his hands. When he looked up again he found the younger man pacing around his office.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing Colonel. Who knows what they could be doing to her out there! You have to let me go back out there, or go up in the choppers or something."

"Not a chance," came the reply. "It's too dangerous to go back out there, and we have wounded on the way. I can't let my lead surgeon go off gallivanting around when I need him here."

"But Colonel…"

"But nothing. Dismissed. On your way out, tell Klinger I need to see him." He replaced his glasses and turned his attention to some paperwork on his desk.

Hawkeye stormed out of the office. Klinger was at his desk, typing up an order. "Colonel Potter needs to see you." He continued to the door but was stopped.

"Captain?" Hawkeye turned around to face the voice. "She'll be ok."

"I wish I could believe that, Klinger." He turned to leave, but suddenly the world spun and turned to black.

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A/N: I hope this was worth the wait. Thanks for being so patient, and hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.


	4. Free to Go

See first chapter for information!

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The vehicle was crawling quietly along the road. Her captors were holding a discussion in Korean in the front seat, and her head, throbbing from dehydration, was resting against the window. Suddenly a gunshot was heard followed by the vehicle spinning wildly out of control. She didn't know how long it was before the vehicle hit a tree and came to a stop. By now she had fallen down in between the seats, and she didn't know how it had happened, but she felt the unmistakable trickle of blood running down her face. She heard the two men exit the vehicle and take off, only to hear the voices of two men call after them.

"Check the jeep!" She heard one of them order. Footsteps approached the side, and then the door opened and she felt hands pulling her from the vehicle.

"I've got her!" The man pulled the blindfold off of her head, and she didn't think she'd ever be so grateful to see an M.P. again in her life. She smiled at the man just before another gunshot was heard, and his hands dropped from her arms and he hit the ground. The two Korean men walked over, dragging the other M.P. with them. She was squatted down, trying to find a pulse on the man lying in front of her.

"Stand up," one of the Koreans ordered. She did as she was told since there was nothing she could do for the man anyways. "You lucky, we got new prisoner. You free to go, but first…" He took a step forward and stomped down on her left foot with his boot. She yelped in pain before stumbling back and down into a trench. The Koreans kicked some dirt at her and were gone.

As soon as his eyes opened Hawkeye was met by three sets of worried eyes, belonging to B.J., Klinger and Col. Potter, looking down at him. He tried to sit up, but his head swam so he let his head fall back down.

"Hawk, you alright?" His friend was knelt down by his side taking his pulse. He moved his hands from Hawkeye's wrist to his eyelids where he pulled them up to check the bright blue eyes. About that time, the room was overcome by a loud growling.

"Pierce, when was the last time you ate?" asked the Colonel.

Hawkeye thought long and hard. "Um…breakfast. Yesterday." He again tried to sit up and made it this time.

"Well it's no wonder you had a face to face meeting with the floorboards. Hunnicutt take him to the mess tent and don't let him out until he eats an entire meal. Then take him to the swamp to get some sleep."

Klinger and B.J. helped the fallen surgeon to his feet. "Colonel…"

"Don't argue with me Pierce. If there's wounded I'll call you. If I hear anything on Houlihan, I'll call you. Other than that you need rest." He turned on his heel and walked back into his office. B.J. grabbed Hawkeye's elbow and led him toward the mess tent.

Hawkeye was now sitting at a table looking at a tray full of food that hardly resembled anything edible. B.J. was sitting across from him, sipping on a mug full of lukewarm coffee.

"Do you want to talk about it Hawk?" He looked up from his meal and was met by the unmistakable worry that was etched in his friend's features.

"I'm alright, Beej." The look on the other man's face said that he wasn't being as persuasive as he hoped. He turned his attention back to the food.

"Hawkeye, you can't fool me. I know you care a lot about her, and this is tearing you up inside. It's not like you to not eat. It's not doing you any good to keep it inside, either." So many times he relied on Hawkeye to pull him up from the holes he dug for himself and seeing him this low weighed heavily on him.

"There's nothing to talk about. She's gone and there's nothing I can do." The two sat in silence the rest of the time that Hawkeye finished his lunch. Then he returned to the swamp and laid down on his cot. He tried to fall asleep, but had no luck. Instead he picked up a pen and a pad of paper and decided to write a letter to his dad.

_Dear Dad,_

_Hello again from the beautiful country of Korea. Today is a beautiful 108 degrees and the wind speed is 0. The sun is boiling and the blood is flowing. But enough of paradise…_

_Something's been on my mind, dad, and I don't know what to do about it. I don't even know what to tell you so you can give me advice, but I suppose I'll just start at the beginning._

_I'm sure you remember me telling you about Major Houlihan, our head nurse. Well she was taken by the North Koreans yesterday, and it's tearing me up inside. And it scares me, dad. I've never felt like this about a woman before. But she's so different than any other woman I've ever been with. Most women I get what I want, and then they're gone from my mind, but she…I can't shake her. So much of our time is spent at each other's throats…but dad…sometimes I wonder if I lo_

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping, Captain?" Klinger asked standing in the doorway.

Hawkeye's pen ran off the side of the page and he looked up, startled. "Aren't you supposed to knock?" Hawkeye ripped the paper off of the pad and crumpled it up into a ball.

"Sorry. Colonel Potter wants to see you immediately. I really didn't see anything, you didn't need to get rid of the letter," he assured the raven haired surgeon.

"It's alright, it wasn't any good anyways. Let's go." He stood up and exited the swamp, tossing the paper ball into the trash can on his way to the C.O.'s office.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful reviews so far. I really appreciate them, and they're giving me the motivation to continue this story!


	5. Give Me a Sign

See first chapter for information!

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When she opened her eyes everyone else was gone. She sat up and a pain resonated through her skull, and then she remembered her foot. She tried to wiggle her toes but yelped in pain instead. She used a tree to pull herself up but found she could put no weight on her foot.

"Great," she said to herself, "I'm free to go, but I have a broken foot." She looked around and deciding she couldn't make it back up the embankment, turned and headed in the opposite direction.

B.J. was headed into the swamp after making rounds in post-op when a crumpled piece of paper caught his attention. He stooped and picked it up turning it over in his hands. His curiosity got the best of him so he opened it up and scanned over the words. At the end he sighed and shook his head. "I knew it." He folded the letter up and put it in his pocket.

"What is it Colonel?" Hawkeye entered the office before Klinger even acknowledged he had walked into the building.

"Sit down, Pierce." Potter looked up briefly from his paperwork and pointed to the set of chairs across from him. He finished the paper and then took off his glasses, setting them on the desk. "I got a call from one of Clayton's men. Apparently a couple of M.P.'s were making patrols when they spotted an enemy jeep. They shot one of the tires out and crashed it. One of them looked inside and found a woman matching Margaret's description and had the other one radio back to headquarters. While he was on the horn a gunshot was heard, and then they couldn't get a response."

"You mean they found Margaret?" he asked in disbelief.

"It sounds that way. They sent out a chopper and some men on foot to scout out the area that the men radioed in from to see if they can find any trace of her."

The younger man dropped his head to his hands and rubbed his forehead. They were interrupted by Klinger.

"I'm sorry, Sirs, but there'll be wounded here in fifteen minutes at the most."

"Back to work." The two stood up and went to triage.

Margaret was hopping along the forest, assisted by the trees, when suddenly she could hear the leaves on the ground rustling. She stood up behind a tree and held her breath. The sound got closer, stopped, and then retreated again. When she was sure it was gone she started on her way again, not knowing the feet that made the noise belonged to an American M.P.

The operating room was buzzing with wounded. Most of this influx was local people, and three children were among them. One of them, a little boy who couldn't have reached his fifth birthday yet, had a badly shattered tibia and several deep gashes. His doctor, Hawkeye, was staring down at the small form in disbelief.

"It makes me sick. These small children are playing tag one minute, and then fighting for their life the next. It's unbelievable." He shook his head and held his hand out for another clamp. A couple of minutes later Klinger walked into the room, holding a surgical mask up to his face.

"Colonel Potter?" He approached the older man who was deeply involved in his bowel repair. "Colonel?"

"What do you want, Klinger?" he replied without even looking up.

"I just got off the phone with General Clayton's aide. The M.P.'s went out, but there was no sign of Major Houlihan."

"Damn it," came loudly from Hawkeye's table.

"Alright, thanks Klinger. Let us know if you hear anything else."

"Right, Sir." With that he left. The Colonel looked over at the next table and found the surgeon standing with his eyes closed.

"You alright, Pierce?"

"Yep." And then the chatter came to a stop in the room.

The sun had set and the only good thing about Margaret's position was that the air was finally starting to cool off. She found a small cluster of trees and sat at the base of one, deciding there was really no good place out here to sleep. There was no sign of any food or water out here and she sighed as she placed one hand on her ravenous stomach. She took off her jacket and wadded it up to form a makeshift pillow and placed it on the ground. She laid her head down and wrapped her arms around her middle, shivering despite the heat.

Back at the swamp Hawkeye was trying to drown his sorrows in his glass of clear booze. He downed the rest of his third glass and reached to fill it up again. B.J. entered the tent and plopped down on his cot.

"Pour me one will ya?" He plopped off his combat boots and then took the offered glass. He looked into his bunkmate's eyes and could see that he had already consumed a few. "Do you feel like talking yet?"

Hawkeye sat on his bunk, taking a sip of his martini, and then placed the glass on the table. He stared down at his hands for a long time before he spoke.

"I don't know how to tell you what I'm feeling, Beej. I've never felt like this before…and it scares me. I thought I had effectively locked away all of my deep feelings." He looked up expecting to see a smirk on his friends face, but was instead met with a look of concern. "And this event has showed me that I can't continue like this. If…when she makes it back…I have to tell her. But how? How do I tell a woman who hates my very being that I…I…"

"She doesn't hate you Hawk. And you tell her the truth, and start at the beginning. Like you did in this." He pulled the rumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the inebriated man.

"Where did you get this?" he asked in disbelief as he looked at the letter to his father.

"You must have missed the trash with it. I picked it up to throw it away, but curiosity got the best of me." He watched as he read the words over. "I'm headed to the showers…think about it." He grabbed his toiletries and exited the swamp. Hawkeye picked up a pen and began to finish his letter.

Margaret was awake before the sun even rose…that is if she had even slept at all. She wasn't sure. She sat up slowly to try and prevent the swirling she knew would happen from her low blood sugar. She sat for a few minutes trying to get her bearings, and then she slowly stood and leaned heavily against the tree. Her foot was throbbing and she could feel it swelling inside of her shoe. She longed to remove it but she also knew she'd never get it back on if she did. She took a few steps but had to catch herself on another tree. She had never been a very religious person, but now she thought she had no choice but to ask for help from a higher power.

"Lord…I really don't know what to say…or really know if I should say anything. I just need some help. I can't die out here, not after all I've been through…please just give me a sign." She looked ahead again and then blinked and rubbed her eyes because she swore she could see a jeep drive by way up ahead.

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A/N: Another cliff hanger for you. I'm glad you all are enjoying this, and I really appreciate the reviews. Next chapter up soon!


	6. Margaret

See first chapter for information!

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As she stood there, clinging to the tree, she felt that she might actually make it through this. She tried to move forward, but found that unless she was holding on it was truly impossible. Luckily the trees in this part were fairly close together and never took more than two hops between trees. She finally made her way to the best sight she'd seen in a long time…a road. A small, underused road, but a road nonetheless. She let out a sigh of relief just before collapsing on the side.

Hawkeye was just finishing his letter when an announcement came over the P.A.

"Attention all personnel! There are some visitors in the compound arriving by ambulance. Let's all go out and meet them!"

He folded up the still crinkly paper and tucked it under his pillow. He shoved his feet into his boots and headed out into the compound for triage. The ambulance was already pulling in as the staff ran to inspect the wounded. They filed off one by one while the doctors and nurses ran and check injuries, ordered blood and medicine and gave them an order in which they would receive treatment. Hawkeye was stooped over a lieutenant inspecting his stomach wound.

"I need a doctor in here! We've got one last one in here!" Hawkeye ordered the young man to be taken in immediately, and then he entered the bus. "Broken foot and head wounds. She's been unconscious since we found her."

"She?" he asked at the retreating form. He walked over to the litter in the back and read the tag. The victim's head was turned so he rolled it over to check her eyes, only they weren't the eyes he was expecting. "Margaret? Beej it's Margaret!" He checked for a pulse and then turned his attention to her foot. By then B.J. had come aboard.

"Is she alright?"

"Broken foot and some head trauma. She's been unconscious since they found her, probably dehydration. Let's get her inside." They carried the nurse out and into pre-op. "Kellye?" The young nurse walked over to the litter.

"Oh my God! Major Houlihan?"

"Get her started on an I.V. She's going to need surgery on that foot so get her ready. Hopefully she'll come around after she gets some liquids in her."

"Pierce, let's go!" Potter was standing in the doorway of the scrub room. "She's alright for now, but we've got boys who aren't." He turned and left. Hawkeye brushed his hand through her hair and then followed after him.

It was about six hours later and Hawkeye was finishing his third patient. "Ok corpsman, take him out." He snapped his soiled gloves off and received new ones from Nurse Able. They placed his new patient on the table…Margaret. Her eyes were slightly open, looking at him. "Don't worry you're in good hands." He thought maybe she smiled before the nurse put her under.

When she awoke she had to think long and hard about where she was. She panicked, thinking she was still captive, but then she heard the comforting sound of her nurses talking. She opened her eyes to find Hawkeye sitting on a stool but slumped over her cot, asleep. She untangled her hand from the blanket and touched his shoulder. He sat up, startled, and then smiled weakly. His dark hair was falling into his eyes, but even it couldn't hide the relief in them. Or the exhaustion.

"Good morning, Margaret. How do you feel?" He reached up and put a hand on her forehead and then let it slide down her cheek.

"Sleepy," she responded, and then as if on cue, she let out a huge yawn.

He chuckled. "I can see that. I'll let you go back to sleep…" he started to get up when she grabbed his hand.

"No…sit with me for a while…please?" She knew she sounded pathetic, but seeing him reminded her she was ok, and she didn't want to let that go yet.

He sat back down. "Ok." They sat in silence for a while, neither one knowing what to say. Finally she broke the silence.

"How bad is my foot?" she asked.

"There were several broken bones, but they all got put back in place."

"So what's the verdict? Wheelchair or crutches?" she asked, smiling.

"Well, you also had some head trauma, so doctor's orders are for you not to be alone. It'll be a wheelchair for a while. Someone will have to push you around," he finished suggestively.

"You're right…I'll have to ask Klinger." She winked at him. He shot her a look of mock hurt.

"Well…if that's what you want." He put on his best pouty face and she just laughed at him. They sat there in silence for a while more. He took her hand and held it tightly, and his face became serious. "Margaret…did they hurt you?" He stared right into her eyes so she would understand the question.

She shook her head. "No." He let out a sigh of relief, and it gave her chills.

"I…we were so worried about you, Margaret." The darkness was in his eyes again, and it made him look aged beyond his years.

"I'm so sorry. I know I made a bad choice…" she was cut off by his finger on her lips.

"Don't say you're sorry. Just never leave me…us again, ok?" He smiled at her and she yawned again. "You really do need to get some sleep. I'll come back and check on you in a couple of hours, ok?" She nodded and closed her eyes. He stood up and looked at her for a long time before leaving.

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A/N: I hope this was worth the wait. I'm not exactly happy with it, but I don't know how else to do it. Just to warn you…there is some serious HM coming up!


	7. Came Back for a Good Reason

See first chapter for information!

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Two days later Margaret was making her first real trip out and about around camp. She had been moved into her own tent last night, but even that change of scenery hadn't quelled her cabin fever, so Hawkeye had agreed to take her out to lunch.

"You know…one plus to eating alone in your tent is that you get to gag in peace." He leaned over her shoulder and smiled.

"Very funny, doctor." He wheeled her to the mess tent and entered after a corpsman opened the door for him. When they reached their usual table, B.J. and Colonel Potter were already there with their trays.

"Nice to see you Margaret," B.J. greeted.

"Sure is," Potter agreed. Hawkeye helped Margaret transfer from her wheelchair to the table and then went to get their lunch. As soon as he was out of earshot, Colonel Potter put his fork down. "Margaret…I don't know if you know this, but while you were gone…Hawkeye was torn up."

"We had to force him to eat," B.J. added. Margaret smiled, but was stricken speechless. Hawkeye returned just then with the food.

"Doesn't look very good, but here you go." He placed the trays down on the table and then sat next to Margaret. He looked at the other occupants of the table. "It got real quiet here…did I miss something?" he inquired.

"Nope, we're just trying to keep the food down," B.J. answered. Hawkeye laughed and they finished their lunches with all of the usual banter.

When they were finished Hawkeye wheeled Margaret back to her tent. Once inside he lifted her from her wheelchair and placed her in bed, propping her foot up on a pillow. "Comfy?"

"Very. Thank-you." He sat down on the bed next to her and sighed. "What's wrong, Hawkeye?"

"Well…I've been trying to write a letter to my dad, but I can't seem to word it right…do you think you could help me?"

She looked at him curiously. "Alright." She watched as he pulled the rumpled piece of paper from his pocket. He cleared his throat and his face got serious.

"_Dear Dad,_

_Hello again from the beautiful country of Korea. Today is a beautiful 108 degrees and the wind speed is 0. The sun is boiling and the blood is flowing. But enough of paradise…_

_Something's been on my mind, dad, and I don't know what to do about it. I don't even know what to tell you so you can give me advice, but I suppose I'll just start at the beginning._

_I'm sure you remember me telling you about Major Houlihan, our head nurse. Well she was taken by the North Koreans yesterday, and it's tearing me up inside. And it scares me, dad. I've never felt like this about a woman before. But she's so different than any other woman I've ever been with. Most women I get what I want, and then they're gone from my mind, but she…I can't shake her. So much of our time is spent at each other's throats…but dad…sometimes I wonder if I love her. All she has to do is look at me and I have to catch my breath._

_I'm scared, dad. What if I lose her? What if I never get to tell her how I feel? I don't know how I could live knowing that. What do I do?_

_Your confused son,_

_Hawkeye"_

He looked up to find tears forming in her eyes. He wasn't aware of his own emotions until she reached up and wiped a tear from his cheek. They sat for a moment, lost in thought. She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. "Oh, Hawkeye…"

"Wait, Margaret. I know…I know I can be infuriating sometimes…but I have to tell you that you…you've kept me sane over here. Or at least as sane as possible. You always have such a control on things…"

She shook her head. "No I don't…I'm just good at faking it."

"I'm trying to be serious Margaret," but his mouth turned up in a grin anyways.

"I know." She was a little shocked at how vulnerable the man in front of her looked. He was staring at her, as if he was holding onto life with her gaze. She suddenly realized he was waiting for her reaction to his confession. She reached her hands up and grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer. She paused a moment to feel his breath on her cheek, and then she gently pressed her lips against his. He leaned into her and tangled his fingers in her hair. When they finally pulled away, all she could do was smile.

"I knew I came back for a good reason," she whispered. He laughed and then caught her lips again with his own.

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A/N: Ok, I know this one is a little short, but I wanted to get it up in case I was too distracted tomorrow. Is anyone else going to see the new X-Files movie? I'm so excited. Anyways…I hope you enjoy this and I'll update soon!


	8. Doesn't Kiss as Good as You

See first chapter for information!

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"How's your foot, Margaret?"

"For the tenth time, Hawkeye, it's fine." She handed him a scalpel and then dabbed his forehead with gauze.

"I'm sorry, Margaret, but this is your first full O.R. session and I just want to make sure you're ok. Clamp." He held out his hand and received the requested instrument.

"It's really ok." Her foot was still in a cast, but they had improvised a way to support her weight so that she could operate.

"Ok, if you say so. But just remember…that injury's only two weeks old, so if it starts hurting…"

"I'll get off of it." She could tell that Hawkeye was smiling behind his mask. Just then, Klinger entered the O.R.

"Colonel Potter? There's an M.P here. He says he needs to talk to you."

"Well I'm in the middle of closing the holes in this kid's stomach. Find him a place to wait and I'll be there as soon as I can," the older man replied.

"Yes, Sir," and then he left.

"Colonel, did you go streaking down the Ginza again?" Hawkeye said with a laugh.

"I don't know what he wants, Pierce. But I'll find out soon enough."

An hour later he finished with his patient and exited to the change room. He stripped off his scrubs and mask and donned his army-issue jacket. He walked into Klinger's office to find an M.P sitting at Klinger's desk.

"Sergeant?" he addressed.

The man stood up and saluted. "Colonel Potter."

"As you were. I'm sure sorry you had to wait all this time, but I couldn't leave."

"That's alright, Sir. I understand."

"Now, what's so important that you would wait all this time to talk to little old me?" he inquired.

"I wanted to talk to you about the ordeal with Major Houlihan," he clarified.

"Oh, right. Come in and have a seat," he said as he opened the door to his own office. "Would you care for a drink Sergeant….I don't believe I got your name."

"Oh, Connors. And yes please." He took a seat in front of the desk.

"Nice to meet you…scotch ok?" The younger man nodded so he took the bottle and two glasses to his desk. He poured them each a drink and recapped the bottle. "Ok, so what about Major Houlihan?"

"Well sir, we believe we captured the men who took her and then the M.P. who took her place. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. They also killed the M.P. who initially found her."

Colonel Potter lowered his eyes and nodded. "How do you know it's them?"

"They match the description Major Houlihan gave after her return. They're being held for now, but the Major will have to make an I.D. before any proceedings can begin."

"Alright, just let me know when." He finished off the rest of his scotch and sat back. "It sounds like a miracle that she made it back alive."

"Yes, Sir. If you don't mind my asking…how is she doing?"

"Great. She's got a broken foot, but she was back in surgery today. It was a light day, but still strenuous."

"That's great. Look, I better get going. I'll have someone contact you when we're ready for Major Houlihan. Someone will come and get her…it might even be me." He smiled and stood up. "Thanks for the scotch, Colonel."

"You're welcome. Thanks for giving me the news." He watched as the Sergeant left his office and then poured himself another drink.

Hawkeye and Margaret were sitting in the mess tent together trying to eat their lunch. Hawkeye, after smelling the meat for the third time, looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. When he was sure there were no eavesdroppers he leaned in close to Margaret.

"What do you say we skip lunch and go straight to dessert?" he asked.

"What's for dessert?" she asked, full well knowing the answer.

"Me," he said in a lower voice.

She smiled and put down her fork. "Ok, it can't be any worse than this stuff," she laughed. Hawkeye looked at her with mock horror.

"That is a horrible thing to say." He turned his head away from her and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

She stood up and grabbed her crutches before whispering in his ear, "My tent, five minutes." She exited the mess tent and Hawkeye grinned evilly.

"Ok." He stood and grabbed both of their trays and took them out to the trash. This was their routine; they never walked to the tent together. It's not like most of the personnel didn't already know, they just enjoyed the thrill of trying to be sneaky. He finally made his way over to her tent and knocked.

"The ice cream man," he sang out, and then entered without waiting for a reply. She was sitting on her cot, brushing her hair. "Let me do that." He took the brush from her hands and ran it through her shiny locks. It didn't take long, though, before the brush was forgotten and the lips met. Hawkeye had just made a move to her buttons when a knock came at the door. She pushed him off and he rolled under her cot. She grabbed a book from her nightstand and opened it.

"Come in," she called. Klinger entered with the mail bag.

"Sorry, Major. The mail came in late and I wanted to make sure everyone got theirs today." He handed her an envelope and then turned around. He placed another one on her nightstand. "I'm leaving yours here, Captain Pierce." He saw Margaret blush lightly.

"Thanks, Klinger," came a muffled voice from under the bed. When the visitor was gone he rolled back out. "See? I told you these mattresses are too thin. He saw right through it!" He walked over to the nightstand and picked up the letter. As he did so a whiff of perfume hit Margaret.

"Is that from a woman?" she asked.

"Yeah. My Aunt Belle. I love her and all, but she doesn't kiss as well as you," he replied as he raised one eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh really?" she countered as she laid back on the cot.

"Well…I better check again," he said, just before pouncing on her.

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A/N: It's done! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that it's an alright ending. I'm contemplating doing a sequel….tell me what you think. Oh, and I don't know what the procedure for arrest and trial in this instance would be…I just made it up :D One last thanks for all of the wonderful reviews!


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